


Snow Big Deal (2009)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2009 [2]
Category: Yami No Matsuei
Genre: Advent Challenge 2009, Established Relationship, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-02
Updated: 2009-12-02
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tatsumi's feeling a little melancholy as the end of the year approaches, and Watari thinks he knows how to cheer him up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snow Big Deal (2009)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [7veilsphaedra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/7veilsphaedra/gifts).



> Written for Advent Challenge 2009. Prompt: Seasonal snowfall in Enma.

The sun was nearly set as Tatsumi locked up his office to head home for the night. It had been a long day in an even longer quarter, and as the year was winding down, he found that he was busier than usual as he finalized reports and prepared for the new year. A hint of a smile ghosted across his features as he thought back to simpler times, to when he'd still been mortal, and the end of the year had been filled with revelry and togetherness. His expression sobered and he sighed softly. Now, it was filled with year-end accruals, budget submissions, and accounting reviews. Hardly something to look forward to!

As he stepped outside, he turned the collar up on his coat just a little and slipped his hands into his pockets. Even though it was perpetual spring in Meifu, there were still discrete seasons. Sort of. The days were longer in summer and shorter in winter, and although it was always rather pleasant, the average temperature was slightly colder in December and January. He pulled his trench coat tighter around him as the wind blew, sending a shower of sakura blossoms raining down upon him. He paused for a moment to lean against a wrought iron railing, and he looked up at the night sky, watching as the stars began to peek out from under their inky curtain. He felt a presence at his side, and he spared a sidelong glance to the other. "It's pretty, isn't it?" he remarked with a small smile to the long mane of blonde next to him, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Watari smirked a little. "Feynman said, _Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars - mere globs of gas atoms. I, too, can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more?_ " The smirk widened a little. "I suppose I can see the appeal."

Tatsumi chuckled. "An engineer quoting a physicist. That doesn't surprise me."

"Just because it comes from a scientist, it doesn't make it any less romantic in nature," Watari remarked, giving the other a soft laugh of his own. "Would you prefer a poet, then? _When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven **so fine** that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun._ "

Tatsumi just smirked and shook his head. "Shakespeare. I'm impressed. I had no idea you were so well-rounded."

"Mm, yes, I'm incredibly complex and swathed in all these layers of intrigue. Who knew there was so much depth inside this luscious package?" He turned to face the tall brunet and he slipped his arms around him. "Hn..." He frowned a little when he felt the tension in the other's body. "Something on your mind?" he asked gently. "I mean, I don't care really if you've decided to take up stargazing, but it's not like you to spend your evenings on such idealistic pursuits."

The dark-haired shinigami's expression softened as he let his own arms briefly rest on Watari's waist. "It's nothing, really. It's just...have you ever thought about the false perfection of this place and found yourself _missing_ things that happen in Chijou?"

A pale brow arched in curiosity at that. "You sound like Tsuzuki when you say things like that," Watari remarked, and then he chuckled lowly. "Are you getting soft in your old age, Seiichiro?" he teased.

A hint of wistfulness flashed across the cobalt eyes, and Tatsumi smiled as he thought about their friend. "Sometimes Tsuzuki makes sense in what he says, Yutaka. But honestly, it's winter. Just once, it would be nice to see a bit of snow instead of the grass and the sakura blossoms - particularly at this time of year." He let out a slightly disparaging chuckle. "Perhaps I am getting overly sentimental. I thought I'd gotten over yearning for the mortal world a long time ago."

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia," the blond said gently, and for a brief moment, his mouth curved up in an impish smirk and he straightened. "I, uh...forgot something I needed to do in the lab," he said as he looked up at the other, and he smiled softly as he rubbed at the slight furrow between the secretary's brow with the tip of his finger. "It shouldn't take me very long at all. Were you heading home?" He grinned brilliantly when Tatsumi nodded. "Good. I'll catch up with you there." Raising himself up on his toes just a little, he gave the tall brunet a quick peck on the cheek, and with a hasty wave, he was running across the grounds to his lab.

Tatsumi watched him for several minutes, and then with a small shake of his head, he resumed his trek home. _He's so absent-minded,_ he thought to himself. _How the hell he ever managed to finish his PhD is beyond me._ He smirked a little, and nudged his glasses up the bridge of his nose, losing himself in thoughts of the blond scientist as he walked. He and Watari had been together for a little while, and while Tatsumi cared for him a great deal, he always had the feeling that the fair-haired man didn't quite understand him. He supposed that was, in part, due to the fact that Watari was considerably younger than him. Not that such things really mattered in Meifu, but it explained the immaturity - or at least excused it.

He let himself into his small cottage, and after removing his shoes, jacket, and tie, he went into the kitchen to turn the kettle on for tea. While he waited for it to boil, he picked up his clothing and proceeded to change into a pair of casual black trousers and a blue button-up shirt just a few shades lighter than his eyes. If Yutaka was coming over in a while, he didn't want to change into his bed clothes. He made his tea and was halfway through the cup and a piece of toast when there was an urgent sounding knock on his door. Curious, he went to answer it, and arched a brow in surprise when he saw a very out of breath Watari standing there. "Did you run over here?" he asked.

The blond nodded. "Yes. I didn't want you to miss it," he explained, and then dark ochre eyes roved over the brunet's form. "Come on, get your shoes and coat on. Hurry!"

"What? Why? I was just -"

"Seiichiro, _please_! Just humour the idiot, ok?"

Tatsumi saw the earnest look on the other's face, and his protest died on his lips. With a heavy sigh, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and nodded wordlessly as he went to the closet to get his outerwear on. Once he was dressed, he looked at the other. "Alright. Now what?"

Watari just grinned and mutely took his hand and pulled him outside, hurrying him along the sidewalks and away from all the other buildings. When he was satisfied that they were far enough away from all traces of civilization, he turned toward the other and as he pointed to the sky, he said, "Look!"

Tatsumi followed the outstretched arm and glanced up. A moment later, he frowned a little when he realized he couldn't really see _anything_. "I'm not following you, Yutaka."

The blond huffed impatiently, and said, "There aren't any stars!"

Again, Tatsumi looked skyward, and his eyes widened when he realized that the other was right. "W-what did you do?" he demanded. "If you've somehow erased the stars -"

"Tch. You're so melodramatic," Watari interrupted. I don't have that kind of power to delete the heavens. They're just clouds." He grinned when he heard a soft rustling of feathers, and turning back to Tatsumi, he said, "It's just about time - here she comes." A moment later, 003 appeared out of the darkness, and she had a rather large cylinder strapped to her back. With a very pleased hoot, she landed on Watari's shoulder. "Brilliant," he remarked as he began helping his pet, and he glanced at the other shinigami to gauge his reaction.

Tatsumi stood there for several moments, and when nothing happened, he rolled his eyes. "Great experiment," he remarked dryly. "I suppose we should be grateful you didn't blow up the lab this time, ne?" Again wondering about the mental fortitude of his lover, he turned to head back home, only to be stopped by a hand on his sleeve. He glanced over his shoulder and arched a questioning brow, only to turn around fully, his eyes widening when he saw the first soft, white flakes drifting down to the ground. "Is that -"

Watari nodded. "Mm hmm. Snow. It took a little bit of calculating, a bit of fuda magic, and some help from 003, but we managed to create and seed clouds. And now, it's snowing. It's probably too warm for it to last much past the night, and once EnMa sees it, well, it'll definitely be gone, but for now, you've got your snowfall, Seiichiro."

Tatsumi was more than touched by the gesture, and for a long time, he just stood there and watched as the snow started to accumulate around them, quickly building up on everything. This wasn't the heavy, miserable, wet snow, but the type that consisted of large, fluffy flakes. The kind that seemed to float quietly to the ground while silently drowning out the daily commotion and blanketing the world with a serene peacefulness. A soft, pleased smile curved his lips upward, and he reached for the blond's hand. "You made it snow for me," he said finally.

Watari nodded again, and he squeezed Tatsumi's hand in return as he shifted a little closer to his lover. Despite the fact that this was still just another artificial construct in a world that mimicked the living, he could see the genuine happiness in the cobalt gaze. It wasn't often that Tatsumi expressed true joy, and it warmed him a little to think that he was the one responsible for that. It would definitely be worth the reprimand he'd likely receive come morning. "Well then," he said as he slipped his arms around the tall brunet's back and gazed adoringly up at him. "Since we find ourselves with all this lovely snow, shall we avail ourselves of it?" he asked. 

"Mm hmm," Tatsumi murmured in return as he brushed a bit of golden hair back from the other's face. For a moment, he admired the way the snow clung to the long tresses, sparkling like perfect crystals. "Thank you for this, Yutaka," he said sincerely, and then he cupped the shorter shinigami's cheeks and leaned down to kiss him tenderly, his warm breath and lips a welcome contrast to the chill of the night. When they finally parted, he straightened and took the blond's hand in his, the two falling into companionable silence as they strolled through Meifu and admired Watari's handiwork.

After about an hour or so, the snowfall began to slow, and it finally stopped. When it did, the clouds were quick to dissipate, and it wasn't long before the stars once again made their appearance in a flawless night sky. When that happened, the two lovers made their way back to Tatsumi's home, and after removing their wet shoes and coats, they sat together on the couch, cuddled up and drinking hot Scotch toddies. Tatsumi glanced down at the wild blonde mane resting against his shoulder, and he lightly ran his fingers through the soft tresses as he kissed the top of Watari's head. Outside his window, he could already see that the snow was nearly gone, but he would remember this night for a long time to come. He took another sip of the warm beverage, and he discreetly glanced at his companion. He could see an equally contented expression on the blond's face, and he smiled privately to himself. For those few, brief moments as they'd walked hand in hand through the wintry landscape, they had been reminded of what it felt like to be mortal again. His smile widened a little.

Perhaps Watari understood him better than he thought.


End file.
